Our 10 best all-day eggs recipes

Our 10 best all-day eggs recipes

We kick off a week-long Cook special on the wonders of the humble egg with this selection of surprisingly eclectic eggy recipes, showing they make a handsome plateful morning noon and night, whether it’s savoury cakes and sandwiches or pasta and luxurious soups ...

The pan of goodness: Stovetop spiced baked eggs with rocket and sage

I suppose this is a take on Israeli (or, more accurately, originally Egyptian) shakshuka, but I’ve changed it so much that I wouldn’t make any claims to authenticity. So “baked eggs” it is. Perfect at any time of day. You need a deep, 30cm-wide frying pan for this.

1 Fry the onions over a low-medium heat in 3 tbsp of oil with a sprinkle of cinnamon and the lemon juice. Sweat together for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes, then add the harissa. Cook for 1 minute or so, then pour in tomatoes. Break them up to create a chopped tomato sauce consistency. Add the paste, 3 sage leaves, most of the rest of the remaining cinnamon, 2 tbsp olive oil and season well. Simmer for 15 minutes.

2 Add a drop of oil to a small frying pan and add the rocket and remaining sage leaves. Wilt briefly and season.

3 Taste the tomato mixture and adjust seasoning and spice. Create four wells in the sauce and quickly crack in the eggs. Season each with salt and pepper, half cover the pan and simmer until the egg whites are opaque – time it well and you’ll have beautiful runny yolks.

4 Distribute the rocket over the eggs. Arrange the whole sage leaves on top too, prettily. Add a dollop of yoghurt, top with the last of the olive oil, a grind of pepper and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Serve with sourdough toast and let the table devour.Mina Holland, co-editor, Cook

The speedy meal: Sweetcorn, spring onion and feta cake

Savoury cake, giant muffin, oversized scone ... call it what you will, this recipe is endlessly versatile. Exercise some creative license and use whatever vegetables, cheeses, herbs or even spices take your fancy. This cake is perfect for lunchboxes and light lunches.

1 Set the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Line a 24cm-diameter springform tin with greaseproof paper.

2 Sweat the spring onions in the oil or butter over a medium heat until soft. Leave to cool.

3 Whisk the eggs with the flour, baking powder, salt, pepper and chilli. Add the sweetcorn, cooked onion, dill and feta. Stir briefly to combine. Pour the mix into the tin and dot with the tomatoes.

4 Bake for 35–40 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top is golden and firm to touch.Claire Thomson, 5oclockapron.com

The chicken and the egg: Oyako don

This is a popular Japanese street food and a great comfort food. “Don” is a short version of donburi in Japanese, which is a rice bowl dish that comes with different toppings. The rest of the name is darkly humorous, as it means “mother and child” – referring to the two core ingredients: chicken and egg.

For the kombu dashi1 piece of kombu (dried kelp) – about 240×50mm 500ml water

1 First, prepare the rice. Wash the rice well in a sieve for no less than 2 minutes, but ideally for 4 minutes, constantly turning it over until the water turns clear. Drain the rice and transfer it to a pan, then cover it with the cup of water. Let it stand for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

2 Then, make the dashi. To make the stock, wipe the kombu with a clean cloth (kombu shouldn’t be washed). In a deep pot, soak the kombu in the water for about 30 minutes.

3 Heat it up slowly. When the water boils, take out the kombu and remove the stock from the heat. Set aside 60ml to use for the chicken, and freeze the remainder for future use.

4 Now, cook the rice. Cover the rice pan it soaked in, keeping the rice in the same water and bring the rice to the boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 8-9 minutes (or 4 minutes in a pressure cooker). Turn the heat off and then let it stand to cool for a further 10-15 minutes. You can freeze any leftover rice.

5 Slice the chicken into 2cm cubes and the onion thinly ( 5mm slices). Using a 18-20cm pot, pour in the sake, mirin, reserved dashi and soy sauce and bring to the boil. Add the onion and chicken and cook for another 3-4 minutes over a medium heat. Lightly beat the eggs and then pour ¬ of the mixture slowly in a circular motion over the top of the chicken as it cooks.

6 Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute more before pouring in the rest of the eggs. Cook until the eggs are set to your taste, I prefer them to be slightly runny and not over-cooked. Put the rice in a bowl and put the cooked chicken on top.Yuki Gomi, yukiskitchen.com

The surprising stew: Stewed chickpeas, crumbed eggs and olive butter

Eggs breadcrumbed with more eggs is surely the best idea ever. Enough said.

1 First, make the olive butter. Coarsely blitz the olives, then add the butter cubes. Blend until fully integrated, then set aside in the fridge.

2 Put the chickpeas in a heavy-based pot. Add the tomatoes. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the spent lemon as well. Add the harissa, garlic, cumin and water. Stir well, then cook over medium heat for a few minutes. Lower the heat and cover for 45 minutes, until stewy and the flavors have melded deeply. Add tomato liquid to loosen it to your preferred consistency. Taste, then adjust the salt. Bear in mind the butter-crumbed eggs will take the edge off the harissa and salt. The flatbread, butter, and oil will play their parts in that too.

3 While the stew is cooking, poach the whole eggs for 1½-2 minutes in gently simmering water with the vinegar until the whites are set, but the yolks are runny. Remove with a slotted spoon and drop in ice water to stop them cooking. Drain on kitchen towel.

4 Put the beaten eggs and panko in separate shallow bowls. Dip a dry poached egg into the beaten egg, then the panko, rolling gently until it forms a crust over the entire egg. Repeat with the rest of the eggs. Set aside for about 30 minutes.

5 Meanwhile, heat the clarified butter in a frying pan until hot and shimmering. Fry the crumbed eggs for 3 minutes, turning once, or until golden all over.

6 Transfer the chickpeas into a large bowl and arrange the eggs on top. Smear the eggs while still warm with a good hit of the black olive butter.

1 Set the oven to 140C/285F/gas mark 1. Bring a saucepan of water to the boil and add a splash of vinegar. Turn down to a simmer. Crack each egg into a small bowl. Create a whirlpool in the water by stirring it vigorously in one direction. Gently tip each egg into the whirlpool. Poach for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

2 Meanwhile, warm the yoghurt by pouring it into an ovenproof dish and placing it in the oven for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with poached eggs. Add a drizzle of chilli oil, garnish with sorrel (if using) and sprinkle with salt. Serve with toasted ciabatta for dipping.Magic Soup by Nicole Pisani (Weidenfeld and Nicholson)

The sandwich of sorts: A twist on Eggs Rothko

Eggs are grilled into brioche and artfully adorned with Asian attributes. Inspired by Mark Rothko’s ‘Green and Maroon’...

1 Butter the brioche slices on both sides. Cut a hole in the middle of each slice, no wider than 2 inches in diameter. Heat the oil in a frying pan to a medium heat and put in the brioche. Crack an egg into each hole and cook for 3-4 minutes, until the base is evenly browned, then flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

2 Meanwhile, preheat the grill. Top each slice of brioche with the grated cheese and put under the grill. When the cheese has melted and is barely starting to brown, remove from the grill. Lay the broccoli across the top ⅔ of the brioche, and spread the sriracha across the bottom ⅓. Enjoy with a mimosa or a bloody mary.Tim Anderson, Nanban

The lovely leftovers: Migas

A Spanish classic, ideal for using up an old loaf for a complete meal. You can get morcilla from any Spanish/Italian shop, but if you aren’t able to, chorizo or pancetta will work equally as well for this.

1 Remove the bread crusts. Cut it into 2cm cubes. Sprinkle with water to make damp. Keep aside in a Tupperware box or in a bowl with a damp tea towel over it until needed.

2 Put a sauté pan on a medium to low heat and pour in 100ml extra virgin olive oil. When it is warm add the garlic. When the garlic is halfway to caramelised, add all the morcilla, chorizo or pancetta. After 2 minutes, when the fat is released from the chorizo or pancetta, add the bread and keep tossing for 4-5 minutes on a low heat.

3 After about 2 minutes add the shallots and season with the smoked paprika. Add the chopped parsley, sultanas, hazelnuts and pine nuts and toss again.

4 The bread should not turn into croutons; it should be crispy on the outside but still moist and chewy on the inside. Divide the mixture on to four plates.

5 Fry the eggs, making sure they’re crispy on the outside (with a skirt) and runny in the middle. Place on top of the bread mixture. If you have lardo, place a slice or two on top of the eggs so that it melts. Season and serve.Nieves Barragan Mohacho, Barrafina restaurants

The twist on a classic: Bouillabaisse of eggs

There are some dishes that one hardly dares to mention for fear of looking a fool. Bouillabaisse is one of these. In Paris, they say that a real bouillabaisse can only be eaten in Marseille, but when I was on the Vieux Port, I was astonished to find that each restaurant had its own recipe and no two were the same. The most extraordinary one I have ever eaten was prepared for me by a sailor from Toulon called Marius. Perhaps you would like to try it...

1 Put everything except the eggs and the bread into a saucepan on a medium heat. Add 6 ladlefuls of cold water and bring to a fast boil. Season.

2 Cover the saucepan and boil for another 15 minutes, then lower the heat. Poach the eggs in this liquid for 2 minutes, then lift them carefully on to a warm dish.

3 Put the slices of stale bread into a tureen and pour the broth over them. Serve each guest with broth and bread and a poached egg and drink to Marius’s health … and mine.Cooking with Pomiane by Edouard de Pomiane (Serif)

The frugal filler: Spaghetti with fried eggs

Here’s a quick and delicious pasta dish to make when you have little time, and even less food in the house. All you need is a box of spaghetti, four eggs, olive oil and garlic (Parmesan is a delicious, but optional, addition).

1 Cook the pasta to packet instructions in salted boiling water. Meanwhile, fry the garlic in 4 tbsp oil on a medium-low heat for a few minutes. Press down occasionally to squeeze out more flavour. It should barely colour. Remove the garlic and add the remaining oil.

2 Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are almost set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta. Toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.Mark Bittman, first published in the New York Times in 10 March 1999

The anytime breakfast: Kedgeree

An Anglo-Indian breakfast dish, supposedly eaten early to prevent the fish going off in the hot Indian climate. Nowadays and in our much more inclement climate, while it still makes a superb breakfast, we would also recommend it as a warming lunch or a light supper.

1 Put the haddock fillets in a pan and cover with the water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for around 7 minutes, until just cooked through.

2 Transfer the fish into another container. Drain the stock into a measuring jug and set aside.

3 In the same pan that you’ve just poached the haddock, melt half the butter, add the chopped onions, most, not all, of the salt and cook the onions on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil another small pan of water. This will be for cooking the eggs just right.

4 Once the onions are nicely softened, add the curry powder and keep cooking for a minute or two, stirring well.

5 Now add the rice and 400ml of the stock and replace the lid. Bring the liquid up to boiling, before turning down to a low heat. Then put the 4 eggs in for 1 minute. When the 1 minute is up, turn the heat off the pot, cover with a tight fitting lid and leave for 5-6 minutes, depending on how one prefers their eggs. Plunge into cold water to stop cooking and to allow you to handle them.

6 When you can no longer see any liquid on the surface of the rice, turn the heat off, but keep the lid fastened on tight.

7 Let the rice steam for 2 minutes, then add the rest of the butter. Flake the haddock into the pot, add the finely chopped parsley and a good squeeze of lemon juice.

8 Mix well, then serve on a large plate, before peeling your perfectly cooked egg and cutting it in half over the top of your, by now, delicious looking kedgeree.

9 Finish with a good grind of pepper, a pinch of salt, on the egg, naturally, a pinch more of the chopped parsley and a further squeeze of lemon juice, should you so desire.What the Dickens, whatthedickensfood.com

•This article was amended on 30 September to rectify the amounts of salt, haddock, rice, water and curry powder used in the kedgeree recipe.